"We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great." –Robert Farrar Capon

Gear Review: Winter Beanie

I was on the hunt for a great winter hiking hat. Good wouldn’t cut it. I wanted great. And great meant warm. On hikes where the temperature drops below freezing and camps in single digits, I wanted a hat that would allow me to enjoy the winter outdoors. I didn’t want thin fabric or fleece-lined around-the-ears only or some decorate fru-fru beanie. I wanted a top-notch warm winter wool hat. I searched in vain for months, years even . . . until one day I stumbled along a hat so extraordinary that I have taken it with me on every winter hike. Meet my hat: Bula Aran Beanie.

Pros

Super-duper warm. I have lived in this hat all winter.

It is fifty percent merino wool, which does wonders because it is soft, anti-microbial, allows your skin to breathe, wicks away moisture, dries quickly, and prevents feeling temperature changes.

It has a velvety-soft liner, which provides additional warmth.

I love that it does not have a silly ‘poof’ or whatever-it-is-called at the top. This hat is simple and wonderful for that reason.

Fits snugly to my head and is not super tiny or extra baggy, like other hats I’ve seen.

This is minor: While mine is a pretty blue, I wish there were other natural colors, such as greens, browns, or greys.

Cons

I’m going to rant for a moment: Companies do not provide hats, scarves, and gloves sets for serious winter gear. Therefore, a con I’m going to throw in is that there are sadly no equally-warm scarf and gloves.

Other than that — solely looking at the hat — I truly have nothing against it.

Rating: out of Five Vistas

Tips for tracking down your own hat

If you’re able to track down a full wool hat, I think this is the best way to go. Wool has more benefits than other materials, such as acrylic ones.

I’d recommend one that fits snugly to your head. Take those slouchy beanies: There’s extra space so it takes longer to warm your head.

I’d recommend doing away with hats that have pom-poms and other frills. It’s one more thing to snag on a tree limb.

Also find a tight knit hat. Andy snagged his hat (pictured below) walking home from a city grocery store — One ity bity tree limb and it pulled. Imagine what it would do on an overgrown trail.